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Bee beards

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A

andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
May all your hives have large bee beards this fall!!!!

summerbees002.jpg
 

Angelic Alchemist

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 14, 2009
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Houston, TX
www.Angelic-Alchemy.com
Kerry says the workers will usually kick the drones out of the hive because they get in the way. Drones don't build comb, raise larva, or collect honey. They just eat and mate, so they're pretty useless when the workers are busy tending to the daily activities of the colony. Hence, the drones have to just hang out on the outsides of the boxes, then they freeze to death when winter comes.
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
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Calgary AB Canada
What are the drones for then? I didn't even know any bees other than the queen could reproduce (an her mates obviously).

I must have lost my memory, I thought all the female worker bees were referred to as drones. Must have been incorrect - I need to read up!
 

Smarrikåka

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 25, 2006
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www.mjodhamnen.se
I think drones might have a diplomatic role too sometimes. Sleeping with foreign queens, and that sort of thing. Maybe it's important part in beehives being able to remain in close proximity with one another without any problems arising. Who knows?
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
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Ottawa, ON
Pretty sure the drones are the males, the workers are just called workers... so yeah, they'd be pretty useless for anything other than fertilizing the queen...
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
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Calgary AB Canada
Thanks for the explanations, I'd been naively thinking that bees had the same hive structure and such as ants, which I'm a little more familiar with.
 

icedmetal

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 16, 2009
794
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Everett WA
Wow, if those are all drones, the queen in the hive needs replacement. You want a couple hundred drones, not a couple thousand. All they ever do is suck resources from the rest of the hive, and occasionally try to mate with a foreign queen. Said mating doesn't go well for the drone though; when the deed is done the drone falls to earth, killed nearly instantly.

-SIRES
 
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andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
Yep, drones are the males, they get to go were they want. Drones will travel about 5 miles to other hives. As mentioned to prevent inbreeding. Hives like to keep about 10% of the population drones, during spring and summer for mating purpose. That is there only task.:cool:

Workers are just that the workers and make up the other 90% of hive population. Yes they are the females of the group. ONLY they can't lay fertile eggs. (whole story behind that).

AND the queen. MOSTLY there is only 1 queen per hive. (although it is figured about 10% of hives have 2 queens, only we don't notice cause after finding 1 you don't generally look for a second) All she does is lay eggs. WHICH is very important work.

Come late summer and early fall, the drones get the boot. They stop feeding them and start dragging them out the door.:mad: Not so much to freeze in cold weather. The drones are long gone before the cold comes....

The bees (workers) hanging out are there cause it is to hot inside. They control the temp to about 97 ish degrees to raise brood. If it is a hot night and everyone is home. Some stay outside so it does not get to hot in the hive,, also they are fanning air throught the hive to cure honey...

Bee beards happen alot in Aug,,, on hot summer nights. It is a lovely sight for a beekeeper. That usually means a strong healthy hive... What is even better is to see bee beards with honey supers still on :cool:

So that is your bee lesson for today :p
 
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